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“From who?”
His face was thunderous. “That man you were leaning all over in the bar.”
“Colin?” Her tongue darted out and traced an outline of her lips. “No.”
The initial surge of relief was tempered instantly by doubt.
“I do not find it easy to believe.”
She nodded, her chest hurting. “I see.” And she did. Layth had every reason to think her capable of what he was accusing her of. “Then I might as well go.”
She was numb. Why had she come to him? What had she thought would happen? She didn’t know this man. Not really. They’d spent a few hours together, a week earlier. That was it.
Oh, what a fool she was! She walked with her head held high, determined that he wouldn’t see she was upset. He’d thrown her completely off-balance. She didn’t know what she wanted nor how to get it.
“Stop.” His voice was commanding. She wished she could ignore it but something in his tone had her turning slowly to face him.
He stalked to her, like a panther on the hunt for its prey. His chest was moving rapidly. She dragged her gaze to his face. Without the advantage of her heels, the height difference between them was marked.
“I don’t want you to sleep with other men. Not while we are … together.”
Her heart turned over. “I’m not looking for a relationship.” She said it as a reminder to herself, as well as him.
“I am not offering one.” He was, God knew, not in a position to. “If we are to sleep together, then I want to know it is with me alone, for as long as it suits me, and as long as it suits you.”
Again, she chewed on her lower lip, and he reached up to brush his thumb across her mouth. “I do not want you going to bars dressed like you were, attracting the attention of other men.” His fingers slipped beneath her shirt and lifted it high enough that he could touch her bare skin. “Your body belongs to me or this will not work.”
Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth. “I don’t belong to anyone.”
“Don’t you?” His smile was a gentle rebuke. He dropped his head so that he could kiss the flesh at her neck.
“No.”
“While I am in London, I would like you to come here. To me. Do not go looking for meaningless sex with other men.”
“When I can have meaningless sex with you, you mean?”
His brow furrowed. “You are the one who stipulated to that. You were very clear that you wanted only sex.”
“Yes.” She nodded. And if she hadn’t? Would he have offered more? Would she have wanted it? Speculating on hypotheticals was a fool’s game, one she wouldn’t fall victim to.
“It is one of the reasons we are matched so well. It is all I want from you, and so I welcomed your pronouncement.”
Why was her stomach rolling? She had the feeling she was signing away something vitally important, and yet she couldn’t comprehend what.
She forced an overbright smile to her face. She was being ridiculous. This incredibly gorgeous man was offering more of the fabulous pleasure they had already shared. She’d be a fool not to take it with both hands. She didn’t want a relationship. She didn’t want love. Look at poor Colin! A man who’d reached for love and ended up broken-hearted and alone.
Love was a bitch.
“I didn’t sleep with Colin.” She couldn’t have said why, but she needed him to believe her. “I wasn’t looking to meet someone last night. I went out because it’s what I do. It’s a habit.”
He stifled the urge to question her choice of attire, if she’d truly wanted to be alone.
“Colin’s fiancé had just left him. His friends urged him to approach me, but we just talked. He was clearly heartbroken, and I was interested in chatting to him. Nothing happened.”
Layth ignored the pressing of relief in his gut. It should not have caused him such pleasure to know she had not lain with the man. “As we are confessing things, I have something to tell you.”
“Oh?” Her heart stuttered. Curiosity was replacing blood in her veins.
